My Family Could Hear Her Secrets

My parents spent 10 years guarding the frontier, only to return home with an adopted daughter who seemed sweet and innocent. When we finally met, my entire family suddenly heard her thoughts. Lenny Spencer acted affectionate toward me, but inwardly she muttered, "Jenna was raised in the capital from a young age. She's never endured the hardships of the frontier, yet she dresses so extravagantly. She has no idea how difficult life can be for ordinary people." My family immediately turned to me with reproachful looks. What Lenny didn't know was that, in this life, one more person could hear her thoughts: me. Chapter 1 Under the scorching sun, I stood alone at the gate with a parasol in hand. A carriage slowly made its way down the street. Its canopy consisted of nothing more than a sheet of blue cloth, which looked completely out of place among the tall, lavish buildings that surrounded it. Before the carriage had even come to a stop, a young girl jumped down. She looked about my age. Her long black hair was tied back with a red ribbon, and her almond-shaped eyes were as lively as a fawn's. Every movement she made seemed playful and endearing. "Are you my older sister from the capital? It's nice to meet you. My name is Lenny Spencer." Her words sounded sweet, but I knew the malice hidden beneath them. Sure enough, just as my parents and brother hurried after her and climbed down from the carriage, I heard her thoughts. 'Jenna was raised in the capital from a young age. She's never experienced the hardships of life on the frontier, yet she dresses so extravagantly. She really has no idea how difficult life can be for ordinary people. 'A single hairpin probably costs as much as the frontier soldiers' expenses for an entire year, right?' They had barely steadied themselves when their expressions stiffened. Then they looked at me with reproach. It had been the same in my previous life. I had waited eagerly for my family to return, my heart full of joy, only for them to reject me for no apparent reason the moment we met. No matter what I did, even when I did nothing at all, Lenny always had countless "thoughts" that drove my family further away from me. I hadn't done a thing, yet I somehow became the disgrace everyone called spoiled and extravagant, a daughter who had no respect for her elders. In the end, I died of depression. Meanwhile, Lenny used my downfall to elevate herself. Everyone praised her as a model of virtue, a woman who cared nothing for fame or wealth and was the equal of any man. This time, my family's cold treatment no longer hurt me as it had in my previous life. I gave them a brief nod. "Dad. Mom. Daniel." Then I turned and walked back into the house. I didn't care whether the people behind me followed. Lenny's thoughts rang out again. 'Why isn't Jenna answering me? Is she trying to put me in my place? Girls from the capital really do love playing mind games. They're nothing like the simple, honest people from the frontier.' My mother, Linda Brooks, had also heard Lenny's thoughts, and displeasure immediately crossed her face. "Robert, our daughter has no manners at all!" The expression of my father, Robert Richardson, darkened, but he said nothing. My brother, Daniel Richardson, could no longer hold himself back. "I don't have a sister who's this rude and unreasonable. In my heart, Lenny is my only sister!" Lenny was clearly delighted, but she put on a magnanimous expression. "Maybe Jenna thinks I've taken Mom and Dad's affection away from her. It's my fault. I shouldn't have assumed I was your daughter." My mother heard her usually cheerful and lively adopted daughter belittle herself. Then she saw the tears that welled in Lenny's almond-shaped eyes and the sorrow in her gaze. An inexplicable anger flared within her. She let out a cold snort. "Lenny is my daughter. No one can ever take your place! Don't let someone who has nothing to do with us make you sad." My father and Daniel immediately joined in to comfort her. How ridiculous. On the very first day my biological parents returned home, they called their own biological daughter someone who had nothing to do with them, all to defend their adopted daughter. My chest felt hollow. It should have hurt. I should have been heartbroken. I should have found their words unbearable. Yet I felt nothing. The heart that had once yearned for my parents and missed my brother had already died in my previous life. It died when Daniel gave the ures I had painstakingly copied to Lenny so she could tear them apart for fun. It died when my mother held Lenny in her arms after she fell into the water and accused me of being cruel and vicious. It died when my father forced me to endure the family's punishment and give Lenny my chance to serve as the princess' attendant. I strode into the main hall, then turned and coldly interrupted their affectionate family moment. "It's time to eat." Silence fell behind me at once. Perhaps they had suddenly remembered that the so-called "someone who had nothing to do with them" was still standing right in front of them. My mother looked embarrassed at first, but her embarrassment quickly turned to anger. She scolded me, "What kind of attitude is that? Is this how you treat your parents? You disrespect your parents and mistreat your sister. How could I have given birth to a daughter like you?" I pretended not to understand. I tilted my head and looked at my mother's furious face. "I only told everyone it was time to eat. How is that disrespecting you and Dad?" My mother fell speechless. She couldn't find a way to argue with me. My father finally intervened, "That's enough. All of you, shut up. Go eat." Chapter 2 Everyone took their seats in the dining room. The large rosewood table held only a few plates of plain pasta and several simple side dishes. At the sight of the meager spread, Daniel slammed his cutlery onto the table. "What's the meaning of this? Are you deliberately trying to keep us from eating?" Lenny tried to smooth things over. "Plain pasta and simple dishes are perfectly fine. Jenna worked hard to prepare them." But inwardly, she murmured, 'Jenna was raised in the capital. What delicacies hasn't she tried? Yet she only prepared these dishes. Could she really hate me so much that she'd go this far? 'I should find a chance to tell Mom and Dad not to adopt me after all. If I'm the reason Mom, Dad, and Jenna grow apart, I'd never forgive myself!' Robert finally spoke, his voice sharp with command. "Get on your knees!" I remained where I was, unmoved. In my previous life, Lenny's thoughts had turned the feast I had painstakingly prepared into proof, in their eyes, that I was spoiled and extravagant. Back then, Lenny had clutched her chest sympathetically and said that the soldiers had endured so much hardship that a simple plate of pasta and a few side dishes would have been more than enough to make them happy. But now, I had prepared exactly the simple meal they supposedly wanted. So why were they angry? When I refused to move, Daniel stepped forward, seized both my wrists, and forced me down with all his strength. He had practiced martial arts since childhood and spent years in the military. Naturally, a sheltered young woman like me stood no chance against his strength. He gave me a hard shove. Bruises immediately formed around my wrists as he forced me to my knees. Robert pointed at me and repeatedly called me a disgrace. Daniel was even more furious. "You eat lavish meals every day in the capital, and this is what you prepare when your parents come home? How can you call yourself a daughter?" "How do you know I eat lavish meals every day?" I asked, still reeling from the accusation. My already frail body couldn't endure Daniel's rough treatment. Without warning, I coughed up a mouthful of blood. The sight stunned him, and he immediately released me. I calmly wiped the blood from my lips and said coldly, "When Grandma was alive, she never allowed me to eat meat. I was only given half a plate of plain pasta at each meal. "For my parents' sake, I specifically told the kitchen to serve a full plate today. How does that make me a disgrace as a daughter?" My grandmother had always hated Linda. After Linda left me behind at the age of three and took Daniel with her to the frontier, my grandmother's treatment of me grew even harsher. She bullied me constantly and often beat me. Half a plate of plain pasta was already considered a normal meal. Whenever my grandmother was in a bad mood, she would make me kneel on an empty stomach as punishment. It sounded absurd when spoken aloud. The daughter of a decorated general couldn't even get enough to eat. Yet it was the truth. My parents' expressions darkened. They presumably knew exactly what my grandmother had been like. Linda seemed to remember how cruelly my grandmother had treated her in the past. For once, she genuinely felt sorry for me. Tears streamed down her face as she helped me to my feet. "My poor girl. You've suffered so much. Your brother didn't mean to hurt you. We're all family, so don't take it to heart." I said nothing. I simply stared at the bruises covering my wrists. Robert shoved Daniel toward me. Daniel stumbled forward, lowered his head, and apologized quietly. "I was wrong. I shouldn't have pushed you." Lenny also hurried over and gently wiped the bloodstains from my clothes with a handkerchief. "Seeing you like this breaks my heart, Jenna!" Yet inside, she was saying, 'Sure, Jenna suffered, but it wasn't like Daniel caused any of that. Why is she being so unreasonable?' The moment those words rang out, everyone's expressions changed once more. Daniel's guilt vanished without a trace. The pity in my parents' eyes disappeared as well, replaced by resentment at my supposed "difficult" behavior. I couldn't be bothered to deal with them any longer, so I walked straight out. As I left, Robert called after me, "You're going to the palace tomorrow. The Queen will be choosing a companion for the princess. Remember to help your sister." Chapter 3 In the palace's imperial garden, the Queen sat at the head of the gathering, with Princess Sophia nestled beside her. Princess Sophia was the youngest child of the King and Queen. They doted on her, and she had a playful, mischievous personality. In my previous life, she had chosen me as her companion. Not because I was particularly talented. She simply thought I was pretty. That was all. But through her thoughts, Lenny insinuated that I had schemed behind the scenes to keep her from being chosen. As punishment, I was sent to church and ordered to "reflect on my mistakes." Robert even subjected me to the family's disciplinary punishment, striking me again and again with a riding crop. He ordered me to "repent" and give up my place as the princess' companion. No matter how much I tried to explain, he believed only what he heard in Lenny's thoughts. But a companion personally chosen by the royal family wasn't a position I could simply give away, even if I wanted to. In the end, Robert had no choice but to trade his military achievements for an opportunity to get Lenny into the palace. Now, I watched Lenny perform onstage. Dressed in a striking red outfit that billowed with every movement, she wielded a flexible sword with practiced ease. Her performance drew gasps of admiration from countless young ladies in the audience. Princess Sophia, however, looked completely uninterested. Everyone assumed that, given her mischievous personality, she would naturally be drawn to an unconventional girl like Lenny. However, Princess Sophia happened to prefer delicate beauties who looked as though the slightest breeze might carry them away. After Lenny stepped off the stage, I walked up in a flowing gown with wide sleeves, my brows curved like willow branches and my eyes soft and expressive. At first glance, I looked like a celestial beauty descended from heaven. I hadn't even begun my performance when Princess Sophia started tugging on the Queen's arm and whining coquettishly, "Mother, I want her!" Just like in my previous life, Lenny's eyes immediately reddened. When Daniel came to pick us up, she even congratulated me. "Congratulations, Jenna. The princess likes you, so you're going to become her companion." But inside, she was choking back tears. 'The princess was clearly interested while I was performing. Why did she choose Jenna the moment she stepped onto the stage?' Those vague words had been used as evidence to condemn me in my previous life. This time, I couldn't be bothered to pretend we were loving sisters who cared about each other. I replied lazily, "The princess likes me, so she chose me. There's nothing to congratulate me for." Daniel frowned. "Lenny lost her chance to become the princess' companion, and you're actually bragging about it. You're disgusting." I didn't even look at him. I simply lifted the carriage curtain and climbed inside. My cool voice drifted out from the carriage. "Are you taking us home or not? If you aren't, I'll find someone else. I don't have time to argue with all of you." Chapter 4 When we got home, the same scene from my previous life played out all over again. Linda held Lenny in her arms and comforted her, while Robert ordered me to go to church and "reflect on my mistakes." I looked at him disdainfully. "The princess has summoned me to the palace tomorrow to be her companion. Are you sure you want me reflecting at church instead?" I had specifically asked the princess for this favor so I could protect myself from exactly this sort of situation. Robert's face flushed with rage. He pointed at me and sputtered, "You..." I turned away, leaving him with nothing but the sight of my retreating back. … The next day, no one came to take me to the palace. The coachman looked troubled as he quietly explained, "Miss Jenna, it's not that I'm trying to make things difficult for you. The general ordered me not to take you to the palace. There's nothing I can do!" I didn't make things difficult for him. After leaving the house, I simply turned left and hired a carriage from a nearby carriage broker. What an idiot. Had all that frontier sand gotten into his head and made him stupid? He had even forgotten that I could hire a carriage right outside our house. … When I arrived at the palace, I wasn't surprised to see Lenny there. Robert had gone to the palace in the middle of the night just so Lenny could get what she wanted. Princess Sophia hadn't arrived yet, and Lenny was chatting happily with a beautifully dressed and carefully made-up young woman. That was Lady Rosalie. In my previous life, she had envied Lenny's carefree life on the frontier and considered her a kindred spirit. When Lenny subtly implied that I was suppressing her, Rosalie had even stood up for her. She had ruined my reputation and had me humiliatingly thrown out of the palace. In this life, she had still become friends with Lenny. The moment I entered, the pleasant atmosphere between them immediately turned tense. Rosalie came from a powerful family and never bothered to restrain herself. She openly rolled her eyes at me. Lenny timidly called out, "Jenna..." She looked as though I spent every waking moment tormenting her. Ignoring them both, I took out my copy of The Book of Virtues and neatly arranged it on my desk. Lenny's eyes reddened again. At the sight, Rosalie angrily grabbed her by the arm and marched over to demand an explanation from me. "Lenny endured life on the frontier for your sake and even helped take care of your parents. Not only are you ungrateful, but you bully her too. What a thankless brat." "If this so-called blessing were yours, would you want it?" I shot back. Rosalie's face went from red to green. Apparently, she wouldn't. So why was I supposed to want it? And why was I supposed to be grateful for it? Just then, Princess Sophia finally arrived. Rosalie and Lenny immediately fell silent. … During the lunch break, Princess Sophia dragged me all over the palace to play. When we returned, we found Lenny and Rosalie together again. The moment Rosalie saw me, all her anger disappeared. Instead, she smiled. It was a malicious, dangerous smile. Lenny tugged at her arm, putting on the appearance of a peacemaker. I glanced at the copy of The Book of Virtues on the desk, then smiled back at Rosalie. My reaction seemed to confuse her. She immediately glared at me. She could go ahead and glare. Soon, she wouldn't even have anyone left to glare at. When our tutor entered the room, Rosalie suddenly slapped a hand to her forehead and cried, "Oh, no! I forgot to bring my copy of The Book of Virtues." With that, she hurried over and snatched the book from my desk. "I'll borrow yours. You don't mind, do you?"